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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · bound · ground · drill · toast · race · rest · fall

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. drill — army training
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. drill — the tool
  8. race — the arms race
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ground — a position
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fall — the season
  19. bound — certain
  20. race — humankind
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rest — a break
  23. fall — to drop
  24. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com